The present invention relates to a vehicle roof with a cover arranged in a roof aperture, which is pivotable about an axis located in the neighborhood of its forward edge by means of a telescopic jack attached on the one hand to a roof frame surrounding the roof aperture and on the other hand to the cover itself, the telescopic jack comprising a first threaded portion arranged on the roof frame, a second threaded portion detachably fitted to the cover and at least one third threaded portion engaging with the first and second threaded portions.
A vehicle roof of this kind has been described in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 23 51 270.
In order, in the case of vehicle roofs of this kind, to be able to remove the cover, the latter must be pivoted out at least to a certain extent because the releasing of the cover from the telescopic jack should only be possible from the exterior of the vehicle in order to ensure that there is no possibility of the cover being inadvertently released from the interior whilst the vehicle is travelling because in that case the cover could fly off. With the cover removed, however, the telescopic jack is at least partially extended thereby impairing the appearance of the vehicle and giving rise to wind noise. The tendency, therefore, is for the user to try to retract the telescopic jack when the cover has been removed. However, this cannot easily be done because the second threaded portion which was attached to the cover rotates along with the first threaded portion when the latter is rotated, and therefore executes no axial displacement. It is therefore necessary to hold the second threaded portion with one hand whilst the other hand is used to rotate the first threaded portion so that the telescopic jack is retracted. The free rotation of the second threaded portion when the cover is removed is also a source of annoyance when the time comes to replace the cover because the second threaded portion then normally does not occupy the position in which it will engage in corresponding locking arrangements on the cover. It is therefore also necessary, in order to secure the cover in position, to suitably rotate the second threaded portion by hand so that the locking elements it carries are in the correct position to snap into engagement with the mating elements on the cover.
The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks and so to improve the known vehicle roof that the telescopic jack can be retracted without any difficulty once the cover has been removed, whilst at the same time ensuring that without the need for any additional measures the second threaded portion engages in locking elements arranged on the cover, when the latter is placed back in position again. The present invention overcomes the above-noted problems by providing a non-rotatable connection between the second threaded portion and the roof frame.
In accordance with particularly preferred embodiments of the invention, there is provided a vehicle roof with a cover arranged in a roof aperture, which is pivotable about an axis located in the neighborhood of its forward edge by means of a telescopic jack attached on the one hand to a roof frame surrounding the roof aperture and on the other to the cover itself, the telescopic jack comprising a first threaded portion arranged on the roof frame, a second threaded portion detachably fixed to the cover and at least one third threaded portion engaging with the first and second threaded portions, wherein the second threaded portion is secured to the roof frame in such a fashion that it cannot rotate relatively thereto.
By means of the invention, the result is achieved that even with the cover removed, the second threaded portion does not rotate with the first threaded portion when the latter is rotated in order to retract the telescopic jack, but translates instead. On the other hand, because the second threaded portion is secured against rotation, it is ensured that the locking or latching elements provided on it are always in the position in which they will engage in the mating elements of the cover when the latter is replaced.
The non-rotational attachment between the second threaded portion and the roof frame is achieved in particularly preferred embodiments by virtue of the fact that the second threaded portion, which surrounds the third threaded portion, is itself surrounded by a sleeve which is attached on the one hand to the roof frame and on the other to the second threaded portion in such a manner as not to be rotatable in relation thereto, being nevertheless capable of axial displacement. When the telescopic jack is extended, this sleeve is carried along with the second threaded portion but secures it against rotation because it is appropriately assembled in the roof frame. The attachment between these two parts in order to provide security against rotation but nevertheless to allow axial displacement, can be achieved by known means, for example using a pin and slot arrangement. Preferably, however, the sleeve and the second threaded portion will have a non-circular internal and external contour respectively. The contours can be substantially rectangular with the major axis of the rectangle disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle roof in order to occupy as little space as possible along the longitudinal axis of the roof.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a single embodiment in accordance with the present invention.